WASHINGTON – Two captivating photographs and three compelling videos won prizes in the 13th annual Faces of Transportation competition sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Make-A-Wish kid Samuel and Caltrans Equipment Shop staff explore transportation possibilities the week before Samuel hit the road to have his wish of seeing a real spaceship become a reality at the Kennedy Space Center. Photograph by Caltrans Senior Photographer Scott Lorenzo.

A photograph of a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) worker giving a Make-A-Wish child a tour of a maintenance facility won the Grand Prize, while a photograph that captures the last working ferry system in Arkansas was selected the People’s Choice Award winner by online voters.

“We are thrilled that so many talented artists shared their perspectives on transportation in this year’s competition,” said Lloyd Brown, AASHTO director of communications and marketing. “The photos and videos nominated in this year’s competition highlight the often overlooked role that transportation plays in our communities and our overall quality of life.”

Sixteen transportation department employees from 24 states and five private citizens submitted 88 photographs and 16 videos for judging in this competition. An AASHTO team of judges selected the Grand Prize winner and a majority of the more than 6,000 online votes selected the winner of the People’s Choice award.

The Peel Ferry glides through the early morning fog on Bull Shoals Lake. As the last operational ferry in Arkansas, it provides a connection in the north-central portion of the state to Missouri. ARDOT employees Rob Mersman (tug pilot) and Randall Williams (on barge deck) operate the ferry. Photo by Arkansas DOT photographer Rusty Hubbard.

The videos competed for first, second, and third prizes and the Ohio Department of Transportation won first prize for its fascinating “Slow Down, Move Over” public education campaign video. Taking second place was Caltrans for its News Flash video detailing the department’s emergency response to a major mudslide in Santa Barbara County. Third place went to the Arizona Department of Transportation for its South Mountain Freeway Chuckwalla Relocation video, demonstrating the department’s commitment to wildlife mitigation.

Use the above links to see the videos and view the all the photo entries here.

Closes August 15! VOTE TODAY!

Online voting is now underway in the annual Faces of Transportation photography and video contest sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

One of 96 images entered in four song title categories will be voted America’s favorite. The categories are: Highway Song” by Blackfoot; “Sailing Away” by Christopher Cross; “The Subway Song” by The Icarus Account; and “Watching Airplanes,” by Gary Allan. Each photograph depicts the many ways transportation benefits both individuals and communities.

The People’s Choice Award will go to the photo receiving the most online votes and a panel of judges will select the winner of the Best Overall Photograph. Each award will receive a $500 cash prize.

In addition, the contest includes a video category featuring 16 videos produced by transportation department employees. The first prize winner in the video competition will receive $150.00, second prize $100 and the third prize $50. All of the winners will be announced August 17 on this site.

Airports, in general, are pretty good places to get a photograph. There are lots of people, beautiful airplanes, open spaces, workers, interesting lighting – just a great environment for snapping a great picture. (Listen to the song title that inspired this category to get you ready to get the shot: Watching Airplanes by Gary Allan.)

Have one you think could win? Enter today to be in the running for a prize!

All aboard the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad! Volunteer conductor, John Cavanaugh, is ready to board passengers for an afternoon tourist excursion along the St. Louis River basin in Duluth, Minnesota. The historic train operates weekends throughout the summer with an all-volunteer crew.

Now that we’ve got that song stuck in your head, think about this: photos and video of all things rail-related including subways and mass transit! We want to see people not only working on the rails but those folks using transit, too.

Of course, we can’t stress enough, if you’re going to take shots of railroads to BE SAFE – here are some safety tips and facts to review before you go out shooting from Operation Lifesaver.

To get you in the mood (and get that earworm out of your head!), take a listen to The Subway Song by The Icarus Account.

Icebergs being investigated from the safety of the Fast Rescue Boat deployed from the M/V Taku.

Well, perhaps being a photographer is enough. And getting that perfect shot of people working on ships, boats, ferries and at waterfront facilities is an ideal Spring activity. The breeze off the water, the sun, the sounds of gulls and sandpipers… what a beautiful way to spend a day!

Here’s some good advice on taking shots on the water and the tips and tricks that will make your trip worthwhile. (Don’t forget the sunscreen!)

Shannon McIntyre, MnDOT transportation generalist, looks ahead as she drives a Caterpillar compactor over hot asphalt on the edge line along Interstate 35 near Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota.

It wouldn’t be a competition if there weren’t rules, right? We have a few – though we’ve tried to minimize them as much as possible to make your entries easier.

A couple of the big ones:

Get a model release. This is important since nobody wants to sue or get sued for unauthorized use of their likeness. If you know the person you’re photographing, even if it’s a close friend or family member, get them to sign on the dotted line. If you don’t know them, take the opportunity to chat and sign!

Give us a caption. Let us know what we’re looking at! A great photo needs context and it helps tell the story of what you were seeing through your camera lens.

Follow these rules and you’ll have a winning photo (not guaranteed to win, but you know what we mean)!

Contractors at work with the rebar on a replacement bridge along Highway 31 in South Central North Dakota near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Yesterday was Go Orange Day in state DOTs around the country to honor National Work Zone Awareness Week. People were posting pics of themselves wearing the color everywhere!

We gotta say there were a lot of really great photos! Did you take one? Have you thought about entering it? If not, don’t worry: there will be plenty of chances to capture the men and women working on our transportation network before the deadline.

In the meanwhile, check out this little article we wrote a couple of years ago about the color orange and how to make it work to your advantage…